20191220 Tomorrow's Leaders Undergraduate (TLU) NOFO_final V. 2.pdf

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U.S. Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs

Office of Assistance Coordination Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 19.500

Tomorrow’s Leaders Undergraduate (TLU) Program

Opportunity Number:

Key Information:

Announcement Type: New Date Opened: 12/20/2019 Deadline for Questions & Notification of Intent to Apply:

1/3/2020

Application Deadline: 2/25/2020 Expected Date of Notification: 4/18/2020 Federal Agency Contact: NEA-Grants@state.gov

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Funding Opportunity Synopsis The Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Office of Assistance Coordination (NEA/AC) announces a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to build a cadre of professional leaders who are civic-minded, intellectually-able, and professionally-skilled, to become the community, business, and national leaders of the future. Despite large investments in education, young people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are not learning the necessary skills to compete in the labor market. As a result, MENA has one of the highest rates of youth unemployment in the world. The Tomorrow’s Leaders undergraduate program is an innovative educational opportunity that offers degree-granting, university-level leadership programs and internship opportunities at select U.S. accredited institutions in MENA.

This project fulfills Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) strategic framework objectives in

a) providing economically deserving individuals opportunities to build leadership skills, effectively engage with civil society, the private sector, and/or government actors; and b) increase workforce employability, and improve access to higher value opportunities through demand-driven professional training and targeted, localized job placement, primarily in the private sector. This project contributes to Bureau Goal 3 in the Joint Regional Strategy for the Middle East and North Africa by Promoting inclusive economic growth and socio-economic development.

Eligible Countries and Territories:

The Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Office of Assistance Coordination (NEA/AC) seeks to include applicants / participants from Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Yemen, and citizens from Syria who have been displaced to third countries due to the ongoing conflict in their country of origin.

All applications must be submitted in English. Applicants may submit only one (1) application. Complete information on how applicants can submit proposals for this opportunity can be found in Section VI below.

Background Information about NEA/AC: The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Office of Assistance Coordination (NEA/AC) offers Economic Support Fund (ESF) assistance to groups and individuals striving to bring about positive change in the Middle East-North Africa region. NEA/AC works in 20 countries and territories, partnering with governments, civil society organizations (CSOs), community leaders, youth and women activists and private sector groups to advance their efforts. Selected projects aim to foster participatory governance and economic reform in response to local interest and needs.

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Contents

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION ................................................................................................ - 5 -

PROBLEM STATEMENT .......................................................................................................................................... - 5 - ACHIEVABLE OBJECTIVES ...................................................................................................................................... - 5 - PROJECT DESIGN ................................................................................................................................................... - 6 -

MEASUREMENT OF RESULTS ................................................................................................................ - 8 - AWARD INFORMATION ........................................................................................................................ - 9 - SUBSTANTIAL INVOLVEMENT ............................................................................................................. - 10 -

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION ................................................................................................................. - 10 -

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS ..................................................................................................................................... - 10 - A. ......................................................................................................................................................................... - 10 - B. REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................................................ - 11 - C. ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS .............................................................................................. - 12 -

APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION ................................................................................ - 12 -

A. APPLICATION DOCUMENTS ....................................................................................................................... - 12 - B. APPLICATION FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS ........................................................................................... - 16 - C. SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION .................................................................................................................. - 17 - D. SUBMISSION DATES AND TIMES ................................................................................................................ - 17 -

FUNDING LIMITATIONS, RESTRICTIONS, AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS ............................................ - 17 - APPLICATION REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS ............................................................................... - 18 -

A. APPLICATION EVALUATION CRITERIA ........................................................................................................ - 18 - B. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS ............................................................................................................ - 20 -

ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION ...................................................................................................... - 21 -

A. AWARD NOTICES ....................................................................................................................................... - 21 - B. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS ..................................................................................................................... - 21 - C. TRAVEL NOTIFICATIONS ............................................................................................................................ - 23 - D. APPLICANT VETTING AS A CONDITION OF AWARD ................................................................................... - 23 - E. BRANDING AND MARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANTEES .................................................................... - 24 - F. UEI NUMBER REQUIREMENT FOR SUB AWARDEES ................................................................................... - 25 - G. SUB AWARDEE REPORTING REQUIREMENT .............................................................................................. - 25 -

AGENCY CONTACTS ............................................................................................................................ - 25 - DISCLAIMER ....................................................................................................................................... - 26 -

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APPENDICES (Posted with NOFO)

APPENDIX 1— Budget Sample Template and Budget Narrative Guidance APPENDIX 2— Logic Model Template APPENDIX 3— Application Guidance APPENDIX 4— LOE Table Template

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FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

The Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Office of Assistance Coordination (NEA/AC) announces a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to enhance and expand leadership training opportunities for students from MENA (Middle East and North Africa). The Tomorrow's Leaders (TL) program serves capable and highly motivated high school seniors in the Middle East and North Africa who are from underserved backgrounds. Over a period of five years, the program will support approximately 60-80 scholarships for qualified, but underserved students at select U.S.-accredited universities in the MENA region.

Eligible students include men and women who represent the region's cultural, religious, and geographic diversity. Participants, from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, could otherwise gain admission to, but would be unable to afford four years of college at an American-accredited university in the Middle East.

Overview of Funding Priorities

PROBLEM STATEMENT

A 2019 World Bank report noted MENA countries have made large investments in education over the last 50 years and have achieved impressive growth in enrollment rates and gender parity at almost all education levels. No MENA country—regardless of their geography, demography, economy, or society—has reaped the personal, social, and economic benefits of this investment in education. Demographic projections reveal that the youth population in MENA will surge by about 10 million between 2015 and 2030. This sudden bulge will increase demand for educational services at all levels, placing immense pressure on existing educational institutions.

In 2018, MEPI began to transform the TL program to better align with MEPI’s evidence-based and result-oriented approach. TL’s New Vision, crafted in 2018 in cooperation with partner universities, provides underserved and qualified students with undergraduate education, mentoring and internship opportunities, and a study-abroad semester in the U.S. The program creates a strong foundation for a cadre of civic-minded, intellectually able, and professionally skilled university students, who are well prepared to become future community and business leaders. The program intends to nurture leadership skills and the spirit of civic engagement and volunteerism.

Supporting Gender Issues Universities are strongly encouraged to incorporate gender education as part of the TL program.

Universities are encouraged to expand opportunities to incorporate gender/women’s issues in teaching and research at the undergraduate level.

ACHIEVABLE OBJECTIVES

A successful project will result in:

1. Socioeconomically disadvantaged and geographically-diverse students complete undergraduate level degrees from U.S.-accredited universities in the MENA region;

2. Participants receive professional mentoring and complete internships with civil society organizations, research institutes, business, and/or non-governmental organizations;

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3. Participants have a better understanding of how to be effective civic and/or business leaders;

4. Undergraduates develop soft skills to help them compete in the workforce;

5. Academically qualified students complete a U.S.-based study abroad semester;

6. Citizen cooperation and participation in civic engagement increases;

7. Awareness of gender issues in the MENA region increases.

PROJECT DESIGN

The Tomorrow’s Leaders undergraduate program provides for students from the MENA region who are academically qualified, but unable to afford an American-style higher education. The primary objective of the TL program is to build a cadre of leaders who are civic-minded, intellectually able, and professionally skilled, who will become the community, business, and national leaders of the future. The program intends to nurture leadership skills and the spirit of civic engagement and volunteerism among participating university-age students at U.S.-accredited institutions in MENA. Students must be registered on a full-time basis.

Applicants must address the following requirements in their application:

Management Campus Community Integration: Description of how the program will integrate students into the larger campus community.

Faculty and Staff Professional Development as Mentors: Applications must describe how students will receive guidance and mentoring from university faculty members (not TL program administrators) to ensure student take appropriate courses and access academic resources the university offers.

Proper Gender Training: Applications must specify the qualifications (including proper training in methodology and theory) of faculty who will teach gender courses.

Student Monitoring Plans: Applications must describe how the applicant will monitor and measure student academic and extracurricular progress and well-being, including but not limited to each of the activities listed above. Students must maintain a 3.0 grade point average.

Coordination with Other TL Host-Institutions: While each TL institution takes a unique programmatic approach, many challenges and opportunities are common to all host institutions.

Applicants must propose ways they can collaborate with other grantees and share lessons learned.

Coordination with Recruitment and Study Abroad Partners: Each applicant must work with recruitment and study abroad partners to provide a clear description of how recruitment and study abroad will be designed and coordinated to maximize students’ experience. The current recruitment partner for the program is AMIDEAST, and the current study abroad partner for the program is FHI 360. NEA/AC can provide relevant contact information upon request.

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Plan for Annual Student Satisfaction Survey: To ensure student satisfaction and quality control, the applicant must administer an annual student satisfaction survey to assess the quality of the extracurricular trainings and the quality of the civic engagement courses.

• Surveys must be co-designed with NEA/AC and other program partners, and findings, including the raw data, must be shared with NEA/AC.

• A third party may be contracted, if approved in advance by NEA/AC, to administer this survey.

Calendar for Orientation, Workshops, and Trainings: Applications must include a sample plan and calendar for any orientations, workshops, and trainings that are planned for the students each year.

Supporting Students from Conflict Countries: Applications shall include policies and procedures for support addressing the needs of students displaced by violent conflict (e.g., Syrian and Yemeni students who might not be able to return to their home countries). Plans should demonstrate knowledge and capacity to collaborate with host-governments where applicable, and to identify and address legal and other constraints.

Students Co-curricular Activities: Encourage teamwork and creative thinking in a practical hands-on environment that support the curriculum taught in class.

Leadership and Civic Engagement: Propose activities geared towards developing leadership and civic engagement skills in students.

Internship: Applications must include arrangement and tracking of mentoring and internship opportunities with local civil society, businesses, and non-governmental organizations. In addition to internships, MEPI welcomes new and creative approaches to develop civic-minded leaders. To be approved, new approaches must include proposed costs and programmatic and budget justifications.

Soft skills: Applications must include plans for the applicant to develop student soft skills over the course of the award. Such skills may include but are not limited to: interpersonal skills;

emotional intelligence; personal accountability and finances; collaboration and teamwork;

conflict resolution; adaptability and flexibility; and communication, both verbal and written.

Research Focus: Fostering an environment of learning through offering incentives for faculty to engage students in research projects that contribute to knowledge.

Capstone Projects: Propose a capstone approach that starts training in the first or second year of enrollment. Students should pursue independent research on a social problem, engage with the scholarly debates in the relevant disciplines, and - with the guidance of a faculty mentor -produce a substantial paper or a project that reflects a deep understanding of the topic and have practical application to solving a local problem.

Benefits:

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The scholarship shall cover the following:

1. Full tuition fees;

2. Medical insurance;

3. A net of $600 monthly stipend for living expenses (after taking out bank and other fees);

4. Student housing;

5. A semester studying at a university in the United States. This should include a round-trip economy air-ticket, housing, meals, and living expenses;

6. Laptop with necessary associated software;

7. Internship opportunity, including local transportation costs, if needed;

8. Two annual round-trip economy air tickets from home to campus; or housing and living stipend for students who are approved to continue program activities on campus during breaks due to being unable to return home because of circumstances outside of their control. Universities may provide air ticket(s) for students to visit family in a third country instead of the home country, in the case of students who are displaced or otherwise unable to meet family at home due to circumstances outside of their control;

and

9. Additional funds to meet additional needs and/or professional development opportunities.

Student Bank Accounts: The Recipient must assist students in obtaining bank accounts --as soon as possible and no later than three months after matriculation. The Recipient must also ensure that students have bank accounts that they can use during U.S. study abroad semesters.

Stocktaking and Management Meetings:

Annual Stocktaking Session Planning and Timeline: MEPI plans to host annual stocktaking sessions with TL implementing institutions, as well as implementing organizations for study abroad and recruitment. Stocktaking sessions will include staff, faculty, and leadership.

Applicants should budget for 15 participants to attend this event in Washington DC for five days.

Annual Management Meeting Planning and Timeline: MEPI will host yearly management meetings. Applicants should budget for five participants to attend this event for five days in Washington D.C.

Note: Applicants should read this NOFO in its entirety before writing their proposal and should refer to the full Evaluation Criteria provided in Section VII while drafting all materials.

MEASUREMENT OF RESULTS

Applicants shall provide a logic model or a theory of change to demonstrate how the proposed project (including activities, the project design, and the surrounding context) will achieve the stated objectives. The logic model or theory of change statements can be generated using the template in Appendix II. Please see Section VI below for more information.

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Successful applicants will work with the NEA/AC program and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) team to create a plan based on the proposed logic model/theory of change to measure qualitative and quantitative indicators as part of the award negotiations process. The successful applicants will be responsible for collecting data against these indicators, which will be monitored throughout the period of performance of the award to gauge necessary modifications to the project’s design and assess the results of the project’s success in meeting expected outcomes.

AWARD INFORMATION

Funding Mechanism Type: Cooperative Agreement

Estimated Number of Awards: 3-4

Estimated Total Program Funding: $13,500,000

Estimated Award Ceiling: $5,500,000

Estimated Award Floor: $500,000

Cost-Sharing or Matching: Encouraged; NOT Required

Estimated Length of Project Period: 5 years

Contingent on the availability of funds, approximately $13,500,000 in Economic Support Funds for approximately 3-4 awards will be awarded through this announcement. If selected to receive an award, an applicant will be awarded funds for up to five years depending on the activities and countries proposed. The estimated start date for this project is August 1, 2020. NEA/AC reserves the right to award more or less than the estimated program funding and reserves the right to award funding under this announcement for a period of up to two years after the announcement’s close date.

This request for full applications does not constitute an award or commitment on the part of the U.S. government to make any awards, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of an application.

Competing Continuation:

Requests for funding to extend beyond the initial budget period will be entertained on the basis of a competing continuation award. NEA/AC will review each grantee’s progress in meeting grant requirements, including timely submission of required reports and compliance with all terms and conditions of the award; timely submission of a request for additional funding; the availability of funds; and that continued funding would be in the best interest of the Department of State.

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SUBSTANTIAL INVOLVEMENT

NEA/AC shall be involved in the program and management performance of these cooperative agreements through consultation and technical collaboration on specified program activities.

NEA/AC Responsibilities

• Collaboration in establishing annual program objectives and approval of an annual work plan;

• Collaboration in assessing progress and identifying issues that might affect the success of the program;

• Collaboration in determining selection criteria for beneficiaries;

• Collaboration in determining corrective actions, when necessary;

• Approval of key personnel and any subsequent changes in the positions during the life of the award;

• Collaboration in the creation of any training materials;

• Approval of annual program eligibility requirements;

• Approval over student selections;

• Approval of study abroad institutions and plans, for any awards involving study abroad;

and

• Facilitation and coordination with the U.S. Embassies as needed.

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

All applicants will be screened by NEA/AC to determine whether they meet all of the program eligibility requirements detailed below.

NOTE: Applications that do not demonstrate that they meet all of the eligibility requirements in Section A and Section B will not advance past the Technical Eligibility Review stage and may be deemed ineligible for funding under this announcement. Nothing can be added to an application once the competition deadline has passed.

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Eligible applicants include only those organizations that received an invitation to apply to this announcement. Any organization that did not receive an invitation to apply will be deemed ineligible and will not advance past the Technical Eligibility Review stage.

NEA/AC is committed to an anti-discrimination policy in all of its programs and activities.

NEA/AC welcomes applications irrespective of an applicants’ race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. We encourage applications from organizations working with underserved communities, including women, people with disabilities, and youth.

A.1. Prime Applicant To be considered for funding under this opportunity, applicants SHALL:

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• Meet ALL of the registration requirements listed in Part B below.

• Meet any requirements listed as MANDATORY in Part C, Additional Eligibility

Considerations, below.

B. REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS

To apply for NEA/AC (Federal) funding, organizations, whether based in or outside the U.S., must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number, currently referred to as a DUNS number, and an active account with the System for Award Management (SAM). This applies to BOTH prime applicants and any local partners receiving federally funded sub-awards. Applicants who do not meet all registration requirements are NOT eligible for funding under the opportunity.

UEI Number The UEI number is a nine-digit number established and assigned by Dun and Bradstreet, Inc.

(D&B) to uniquely identify business entities.

All applicants must have a UEI number. To obtain a UEI number, please follow the steps below:

Go to http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/pages/CCRSearch.jsp.

Select the country or territory where your organization is physically located. Complete and submit the form. Organizations will need to provide basic information, including physical and mailing addresses, name and title of the chief executive, primary Standard Industrial Code (SIC), and annual revenue.

For technical difficulties in obtaining this number, please contact D&B at: govt@dnb.com.

System for Award Management (SAM) SAM is a U.S. government wide registry of vendors doing business with the Federal government and requires annual renewal. The system centralizes information about grant applicants/recipients, and provides a central location for grant applicants/recipients to change organizational information.

Further, applicants must maintain an active account, with current information, while its application is under consideration for funding. To keep an active SAM.gov account, applicants must renew it at least once each year. If an organizations account expires, the organization cannot submit a grant application until it is renewed.

To create a new account, please follow the steps below:

Go to http://www.sam.gov. Select Log In to complete authentication and create an account. On the My SAM page, select Entity Registrations from the sub-navigation menu and select Register New Entity.

Complete and submit the online form. If the applying organization already has the necessary information on hand (see the SAM User Guide), the online form takes approximately one hour to complete, depending upon the size and complexity of the applying entity. Because of the http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/pages/CCRSearch.jsp http://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/sic_manual.html mailto:govt@dnb.com http://www.sam.gov/ https://sam.gov/SAM/transcript/Quick_Guide_for_Grants_Registrations.pdf

- 12 -different steps in the process, it might take anywhere from 12-15 business days to complete the process of creating an account with the system.

For help with SAM.gov, please visit their support page at https://www.fsd.gov or contact them at: 866-606-8220 (U.S.) or +1-334-206-7828 (international).

C. ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS

C.1. Cost-Sharing or Matching There is no minimum or maximum percentage required for this competition. However, NEA/AC encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs.

Cost-sharing or matching is NOT an evaluation criteria of this NOFO.

APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. APPLICATION DOCUMENTS

All applications must include the application components detailed below. All application documents must be submitted in English. Applicants may submit only 1 application each.

Please refer to Part B below for additional submissions guidance and requirements.

NOTE: Applications that do not include all the required documentation described in Section 1 below will not advance past the Technical Eligibility Review stage. Further, applications that exceed the allowable page limits will not be reviewed by the review panel.

Applicants may not add any materials to an application once it has been submitted and the competition deadline has passed.

A.1. Required Documents

Federal Assistance Application Forms (SF-424, SF424a, and SF-424b):

Applicants must complete each of these forms online to be considered for funding. The SF-424B is required only for those applicants who have not registered in SAM.gov or recertified their registration in SAM.gov since February 2, 2019 and completed the online representations and certifications. Guidance on how to complete the SF-424 and SF424a is provided in Appendix

3. NOTE: In addition to following all guidance outlined below regarding application materials, applicants are strongly encourage to review the Application Evaluation Criteria of this NOFO closely as they prepare their proposal. The Evaluation Criteria section is the rubric by which each application will be scored.

Project Narrative:

The Project Narrative describes the efforts the applicant will undertake to address the priorities and goals of this announcement. It may be no longer than 25 pages. More details on preparing the Project Narrative are provided in Appendix 3 and Section I. above. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review Appendix 3 before preparing their Narrative.

https://www.fsd.gov/

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a) Description of how students will be integrated into the larger campus community

b) Table of contents and calendar for student orientation, proposed workshops, trainings and co-curricular activities the applicant will make available for students. Proposed activities should include a brief description.

c) Clear description of how students will be monitored academically and socially, describing methods, frequency, etc.

d) How students with mental health and/or counseling needs will be supported. How will students in need of services be identified;

e) Plan for an annual student satisfaction survey.

f) How faculty will be incentivized, to include TL participants in their research projects.

Incentives could be financial and/or other benefits attractive to faculty.

g) Creative ways to develop leadership skills, increase civic awareness, and motivate participants to become civic leaders,

h) Description of how participants will receive mentorship from civic leaders or business leaders in their areas of interest.

i) How applicants will design co-curricular activities ensure participants gain soft skills necessary for professional employment, and access to internship opportunities related to their career goals.

j) A plan to increase communication and coordination with other TL host universities, and the implementing partners managing recruitment and the U.S. study abroad program. This plan should include an annual staking session in a TBD MENA location, and a management meeting in Washington D.C.

k) Propose an approach to capstone projects that starts training in the first or second year of enrollment.

Budget & Budget Narrative Submission:

Applicants must provide the following four elements as part of their budget submission:

• Summary Budget

• Detailed Line Item Budget

• LOE Table

• Budget Narrative

There is no page limit for this section of an application. A sample fillable template for the Summary Budget and Detailed Line Item Budget can be found in Appendix 1. This template includes three tabs: The first tab includes written guidance on preparing the Budget Narrative. Applicants are strongly encouraged to create their Budget Narrative in Word and submit as either a Word Doc or PDF file. Please note that the Budget Narrative should include designations of who is considered Key Personnel for this project. As defined in the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions for assistance awards, Key Personnel means, “…key professional and supervisory personnel; i.e., the members of the professional staff in a program supervisory position engaged for or assigned to duties under the award.”

The second tab has the template for the Summary Budget. This tab will auto-fill as you complete the Detailed Line Item Budget, which can be found on the third tab. The third tab is where you can fill in the template for the Detailed Line Item Budget as stated above. NOTE:

Applicants are strongly encouraged to use the same format as provided in the template, https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/271865.pdf https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/271865.pdf

- 14 -and to submit summary and detailed line item budgets in Excel form, and the Budget Narrative as either a PDF or Word file. If the applicant does not use the template, the applicant must ensure that their submission includes all elements outlined in the sample. The template, which includes more detailed instruction, can be found in Appendix 1. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review Appendix 1 before preparing their Budget Narrative as either a PDF or Word file.

For the Level of Effort (LOE) Table (sample shown in Appendix 4), list out each employee proposed for the project. For each year of the proposed award, fill in their LOE for the proposed award, their LOE for each other USG grant /contract on which the person works, their LOE On non-USG work, and the totals. LOE distribution should be in line with the activity planned for each year of the award and should clearly match the calculations in the Detailed Line Item Budget.

Logic Model:

Applicants shall provide a logic model or theory of change to demonstrate how the proposed project (including activities, the project design, and the surrounding context) will achieve the stated objectives. The logic model or theory of change statements can be generated using the template in Appendix 2. NOTE: Applicants are strongly encouraged to use the same format as found in the sample. If the applicant does not use the template, the applicant must ensure that their submission includes all elements outlined in the sample. This section may be no longer than 3 pages.

Project Timeline:

Applicants must provide an overall breakdown of the order and timeframe in which all project activities will take place. This item should provide a macro snapshot of what will take place from beginning to end of the project. Applicants must ensure that the timeline of activities/events corresponds with details provided in the Project Narrative and Logic Model. This section may not exceed 2 pages.

Organizational Chart: The organizational chart outlines the clear lines of responsibility and authority in the applicant organization to include budgeted level of effort listed by each person.

Job Descriptions / Biographical Info for Key Personnel Positions:

For each position designated as key personnel for this project, applicants must provide the following:

1. If the position is already filled: Provide brief biographical information summarizing the person’s qualifications, as well as a brief description of the roles or responsibilities pertaining to this project.

OR

2. If the person to fill a key position has not yet been hired: Provide a brief summary of the job description, which should include a description of the roles and responsibilities pertaining to this project, as well as a description of qualifications of eligible candidates.

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NOTE: If an applicant is proposing sub grant partner(s) as part of their project design, Key Personnel/Positions of the sub grantee must also be included. This section of the application may not exceed 5 pages.

Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement: NOTE: This item is required only IF applicable.

Applicants proposing indirect costs in the Budget greater than a 10% de minimis rate must provide a copy of their Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA). This item will not be counted toward any page limits.

A.2. Optional Documents Applicants may submit additional documents for consideration with their application.

These documents are not required and there is a 10 page limit for this section of the application. Below are examples of some additional documents an applicant may wish to submit.

1. Letters of Agreement or Letters of Intent: Applicants proposing partner organizations and/or government bodies should include Letters of Intent or Letters of Agreement from their proposed partners.

2. Sustainability Plan: The sustainability plan outlines how the proposed project will be sustained beyond the initial award period. More information on preparing the Sustainability Plan is provided in Appendix 3. Sustainability Plans may not exceed 2 pages.

3. Security, Risk Mitigation, & Contingency Planning Summary: NOTE: This item is not required in the initial proposal but may be required during the negotiations.

This item should provide detail regarding the applicant’s intended due diligence to assess and mitigate risks and put in place adequate security measures to ensure the safety and well-being of project staff, participants, and partners, if applicable. This should include specific actions by the applicant to ensure risks are adequately and routinely assessed, and that security measures are commensurate with operational concerns specific to the locale. The applicant should also include a contingency plan that highlights potential challenges and limitations to project implementation in the operating environment and propose contingency plans should program activities be impacted. Please note that this section should not be limited to physical security and risk but should cover any applicable factors relevant to the given operating environment. This section may not exceed five (5) pages.

NOTE: Applicants must adhere to all maximum allowed page counts. Applications that exceed any of the allowable page limits will not advance past the Technical Eligibility Review stage.

A summary of the required and optional application documents and their page limits is as follows:

Document Page

Limit Required Document?

Template Available?

Notes:

SF-424 None Required Yes Standard Form must be used.

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SF-424a None Required Yes Standard Form must be used.

SF-424b None Required if applicable

Yes Standard Form must be used.

Required unless applicant registered or recertified in sam.gov after 2/2/19

Project Narrative 25 Required None

Summary Budget None Required Yes See Appendix 1 for recommended template.

Detailed Line Item Budget

None Required Yes See Appendix 1 for recommended

Budget Narrative None Required None

Logic Model 3 Required Yes See Appendix 2 for recommended

LOE Table None Required Yes See Appendix 4 for recommended

Project Timeline 2 Required None

Job Descriptions 5 Required None

NICRA None Required if applicable

None Required if proposing indirect cost rate greater than 10% de minimis.

Letters of Agreement/Intent

10 Optional None Page count applies to 10 page total limit for optional documents

Sustainability Plan

2 Optional None Page count applies to 10 page total limit for optional documents

Security and Risk Plan

5 Optional None Page count applies to 10 page total limit for optional documents. This document is not required at the application stage but may be required of applicant(s) that proceed to the award negotiation stage.

B. APPLICATION FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS

The required font is 12-point, Times New Roman. All application documents must be single spaced, with all margins (left, right, top, and bottom) of at least one inch each. Also, applicants should ensure all pages in the application package are numbered consecutively and meet the page limit requirements outlined in Section VI above. The Standard Forms 424 (SF-424, SF-424a, and SF-424b) are excluded from the page numbering.

It is strongly recommended that applicants submit grant applications using Microsoft Office. If applicants do not have access to Microsoft Office products, Adobe PDF files may be submitted.

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C. SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION

Applicants must submit their application electronically using SAMS Domestic. The system requires that the applying organization have an account with the system and requires a UEI number and SAM.gov account as detailed in B.3 above. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure it has an active account and will be able to submit its application.

NEA/AC is not in a position to grant exceptions to these requirements.

The application process is not complete until the applicant receives notification that its application has been validated and forwarded to the granting agency (NEA/AC). Please allow sufficient time for entering the application into the system. It is the responsibility of the applicant to monitor its application to ensure that it is successfully received and validated.

C.1. SAMS Domestic SAMS Domestic is a comprehensive grants management system that allows applicants to apply for, manage, and report on the use of U.S. government funds for multiple programs, accessed online at mygrants.service-now.com.

To create an account, go to http://mygrants.service-now.com, and click the “create an account” hyperlink, located above the user name prompt. Users will be directed to a page entitled “User Registration Request;” complete the online form and click the “Submit” button.

Users will receive an activation email entitled “Verify Your Grants Account Registration;” click the activation link within the email to receive a username and password.

SAMS Domestic has Quick Tours available to educate users about the system. These documents can be found on the Support tab upon logging into the system.

D. SUBMISSION DATES AND TIMES

Applications must be time stamped before 17:00:00 eastern time (ET) on 2/18/2020. There will be no grace period, and any application not received by the application deadline will be deemed ineligible and will not advance to be reviewed. Each applicant is encouraged to submit an application far enough in advance of the deadline so that the applicant can alert NEA/AC (nea-grants@state.gov) of any technical difficulties and allow sufficient time to resolve difficulties before the deadline. Although NEA/AC will work with applicants to resolve technical issues, it is not in a position to grant exceptions to the submission requirements outlined in this announcement.

FUNDING LIMITATIONS, RESTRICTIONS, AND OTHER

CONSIDERATIONS

1. Awards to Commercial Firms or For-Profit Organizations The Department of State prohibits profit under its assistance awards to commercial organizations. No funds will be paid as profit to any recipient that is a commercial organization.

Profit is defined as any amount in excess of allowable direct and indirect costs. The allowability of costs incurred by commercial organizations is determined in accordance with the provisions of http://mygrants.service-now.com/ http://mygrants.service-now.com/ http://mygrants.service-now.com/ mailto:nea-grants@state.gov

- 18 -the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) at 48 CFR Part 31. Program income earned by the recipient may be:

• added to the total of the amount of this award, including the required cost sharing or matching, and use it to further eligible project objectives;

• used to meet the Recipient’s cost sharing or matching requirement;

• OR deducted from the total project or program allowable cost in determining the net allowable costs on which the federal share of costs is based.

2. Audit Requirements Domestic and foreign organizations that expend $750,000 or more in a fiscal year in federal assistance must perform an independent, recipient-contracted Single Audit or Program Specific Audit. (Program-specific Audit means an audit of one Federal award program. Single Audit means an audit which includes both the entity’s financial statements and the Federal Awards to be conducted in accordance with Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS). The audits must be independently and professionally executed in accordance with GAGAS either prescribed by a government’s Supreme Audit Institution with auditing standards approved by the Comptroller General of the United States, or the host country’s laws or adopted by the host country’s public accountants or associations of public accountants, together with generally accepted international auditing standards. However, foreign entity audits consistent with International Standards for Auditing or other auditing standards are acceptable with the Grants Officer’s approval. More information can be found at https://www.gao.gov/assets/700/693136.pdf

For sub-non-Federal entities expending $750,000 or more in Department of State award funding during their fiscal year, Department of State standard audit provisions require that Prime non- Federal entities certify that audits of sub-non-Federal entities are performed annually and according to the standards described above. The cost of audits required under this policy may be charged either as an allowable direct cost to the award, OR included in the organizations established indirect costs in the award’s detailed budget.

3. Compliance with Applicable Federal Funding Regulations and DOS Terms and Conditions Payment of funds awarded under this Notice of Funding Opportunity will not be disbursed until the DOS has been assured that the Recipient’s financial management system will provide effective control over and accountability for all Federal funds in accordance with 2 CFR 200 and 2 CFR 600 as applicable. Awards issued under this NOFO are subject to the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions and 2 CFR 200 and 2 CFR 600 as applicable.

APPLICATION REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

A. APPLICATION EVALUATION CRITERIA

Achievable Objectives (10 points) Each of the project objectives listed above (in Section I) are clearly addressed.

https://www.gao.gov/assets/700/693136.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=69f0738c44f722bba1c963a29d0087ba&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2tab_02.tpl https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=69f0738c44f722bba1c963a29d0087ba&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfrv1_02.tpl#600 http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/271865.pdf http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/271865.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=69f0738c44f722bba1c963a29d0087ba&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2tab_02.tpl https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=69f0738c44f722bba1c963a29d0087ba&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfrv1_02.tpl#600

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• Impact and Effectiveness: The applicant describes the project’s potential contribution to achieve program objectives:

o Socioeconomically disadvantaged and geographically diverse students complete undergraduate level degrees from U.S.-accredited universities in MENA.

o Participants receive professional mentoring and complete internships with civil society organizations, business, and/or non-governmental organizations.

o Participants having a better understanding of how they can be effective civic and/or business leaders. Undergraduates with soft skills to help them compete in the workforce.

o An opportunity for academically qualified students to complete a U.S.-based study abroad semester.

o Increased citizen cooperation and participation in civic engagement.

o An increased awareness of gender issues in MENA.

• M&E: The applicant explains how monitoring and evaluation activities will be carried out throughout the award’s period of performance and who will be responsible for them.

Project Design (30 points) The applicant clearly describes how each proposed project activity will address each of the objectives outlined in the requested priority area above (Section I).

• Responsiveness to NOFO: Explain how the proposed activities respond to the objectives listed in the NOFO.

• Project Management: Clear description of how the project will be managed in terms of initiation, planning, implementation, and closing.

• Required gender courses syllabi developed by faculty (10 points)

Organizational Capacity (20 points)

• The applicant demonstrates experience (e.g., has previously worked and/or has established contacts/partners) in the proposed country/territory/region.

• The applicant demonstrates capacity for responsible fiscal management of donor funding (e.g., successful management of a previous sub-award or grant).

• The applicant demonstrates the ability to meet monitoring and evaluation requirements.

• The applicant has allocated designated academic director and an administrative director who demonstrate the capacity to manage the proposed project.

• The applicant allocated special funds dedicated to the professional development of all staff and faculty working on the project.

• The applicant allocated incentives for faculty to participate in TL and propose creative and innovative projects.

Staff and Position Specifications (40 points)

• CV or job description of Gender Faculty members to coordinate gender courses (10 points).

• CV or job description of director dedicated to managing the program.

• CV or job description of executive director at leadership level who will serve as administrative director for the program

• CV or job description of Psychological specialist dedicated to enhancing mental wellness for students.

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• Pre-identified key staff members, including volunteers, demonstrate experience working in the country/territory/region proposed and with participants from that area (e.g., language skills, cultural understanding).

• A description of the roles of each person or position on the project--whether staff, partner, consultant, or volunteer--demonstrates that the project will be adequately but efficiently staffed, avoiding redundancy or duplication of effort.

• A job description, including hiring criteria, is provided for each open key position.

• Pre-identified key staff members, including any volunteers, demonstrate experience and knowledge in the proposed content area.

Budget & Budget Narrative (Accept/Revise)

• At least 5% of budget allocated to meet monitoring and evaluation requirements.

• Budget estimates are reasonable and sufficient for meeting student needs.

• The costs proposed are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results, which are clearly explained in the budget narrative.

• The budget provides details of calculations, including estimation methods, quantities, unit costs, and other similar quantitative detail sufficient for the calculation to be duplicated.

• The preponderance of the budget is spent on supporting the project participants/activities in country.

• Adequate travel costs are proposed to include attending the annual stocktaking and management meeting and students’ study abroad. The program recruitment partner covers the first tickets for students to travel to campus, for students from Yemen only.

The program recruitment partner also provides students from all countries with travel per diem for travel days for their first time traveling to campus.

B. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

NEA/AC is committed to ensuring a competitive and standardized process for awarding funding.

Applications will be screened initially in a Technical Eligibility Review stage to determine whether applicants meet the eligibility…